Proposal and Development of Anonymization Dictionary Using Public Information Disclosed by Anonymously Processed Information Handling Business Operators

Abstract

To increase the number of anonymously processed information handling business operators, support for business operators to produce anonymously processed information is indispensable. In this study, as one of the supports, an “anonymization dictionary,” which focuses on public information disclosed by anonymously processing information handling business operators is proposed and developed. In Japan, in compliance with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information, a personal information handling business operator, when producing anonymously processed information and providing it to a third party, shall disclose to the public the categories of information relating to an individual contained in the information and the method of providing the information. Most operators disclose them on their webpages. In several cases, the disclosures also contain information other than that imposed by the act, such as the anonymization techniques used and the purpose of its use. Herein, the disclosures are collected from webpages, and an anonymization dictionary is developed using the disclosures. Evaluating the effectiveness of the dictionary through scenario-based evaluation, we demonstrate that the dictionary provides useful information for anonymously processed information production.